Carmanian

Official Number ?????

The Carmanian was a steel barque built by R.Williamson & Son at Workington, launched on Monday, 19th April 1897. She was operated by her builders until 1903, when she was sold to E.F.&W.Roberts, also of Workington. In 1910 the Carmanian was sold to Norwegian owners and was registered at Stavanger, retaining her name.

The Carmanian was lost during the First World War, on passage from Buenos Aires to Queenstown with a wheat cargo. The barque was sunk by gunfire from a German submarine 55 miles off the West coast of Ireland on Tuesday, 25th April 1916. The crew abandoned ship in two boats, one of which capsized, drowning all aboard. The other, containing the master and nine men, reached the Irish shore and the men were rescued by cliff ladders. Some of the rescuers were later commended by the Norwegian government.
 

Sources :

1. "Shipbuilding at Workington - a Checklist" by Harry Fancy, pub. Whitehaven Museum (1985).
2.  Launch announced in the Whitehaven Gazette, Thursday, 22nd April, 1897.
3. The Times newspaper, Thursday 27th April 1916, page 3 and Friday 28th April 1916, page 3 - states that the vessel was sunk by gunfire.
4. Norsk Skipsfartshistorisk Selskap (Norwegian Shipping History Society) - states that the vessel was torpedoed by U19, and that 3 men died. Position given as 50.16N, 12.02 W.